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The success of a venture often lies in why the entrepreneur started in the first place (e27.co)

This is the single most important question that entrepreneurs should ask themselves if they are planning to start their own venture. The rest of the specifics – how, when, and where, will follow later.

A Harvard Business Review article titled The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Askmentions that the first step for any entrepreneur should be Clarification of Goals – Where do I Want to Go? After the goals are defined, strategy planning and strategy execution are the next steps. If the entrepreneur does not have clarity of purpose, the likelihood of the failure of the business is high.

Market Penetration For Startups – Through Discount Or Disruption! (Trak.in)

While the growth in the number of startup businesses has opened the door for numerous opportunities; it has also summoned a massive competition in the market. Placing the brand in the eye of possible customers is vital to gain superiority over others in the market. For defining what exactly your company stands for, you need to take certain steps in order to gain trust and loyalty that measures the success of the brand.

While many think that branding and marketing can seem like an art, it is just pure science. It is important to observe your customers’ reactions towards your brand and how they describe their experience. Generating the value proposition of the product/brand in a market swarmed with contenders, is the key to existence, accomplishment and incremental growth.

Have you just started your own business? Congratulations! You’ve just signed up for being your own boss before anyone else’s. Your future is in your own hands, and you think you’re almost ready to lead your crew towards growth and, hopefully, prosperity and wealth! You get to set your working hours, you choose your coworkers and you are the controller of your brand. Though entrepreneurship definitely has its upside, it can also be a rude awakening for those who don’t have a realistic understanding of the challenges that come with being your own boss.

One huge misconception about being a successful entrepreneur and being your own boss is that it’s glitzy and glamorous. In fact, it’s rather the opposite. It’s extremely difficult, and at times discouraging. Self-employment isn’t for everybody, and the figures on failures of startups and businesses are astounding. But if you have the capability to overcome all the challenges self-employment throws at you, you might have a shot.

Today, smartwatches are one of the most sought-after wearables among customers. Apple dominates almost half of the smartwatch market, followed by Samsung, Fitbit and a few other brands. But, did you know that none of these brands were the pioneers of this device?

It was, in fact, Microsoft which had first introduced a smartwatch prototype in 2004. Unfortunately, it never made it to the market because it was too futuristic for customers at that point of time. Given its sheer magnitude and volume of business, Microsoft managed to absorb the failure. It didn’t shut down. However, if it were a startup, it may have already doomed.

FinTech: Driving Innovation Across The Board With Rapid Growth (Trak.in)

Financial technology a.k.a. FinTech is defined as the technologies availed and implemented in the financial services sector. Though FinTech is prevalent in financial institutions and chiefly represents the developing convergence of financial services and technology, it can also be used to allude to technology companies, start-ups, etc

Its development over the years has made it an extremely part of the global investment market too; a 2015 Accenture study stated that global investment in financial-technology ventures grew 3-times from $4.05 billion in 2013 to $12.2 billion in 2014. And as this phenomenon continues to evolve, it is increasingly coming to include industries beyond the realm of financial services sector; every business and industry the financial services market is involved in, FinTech has a role to play, even if seemingly superficial.

GHV Accelerator has led an undisclosed amount of funding in two startups, Sattviko and Glue Design.

Sattviko is a Delhi-based wellness food startup which recently raised an undisclosed amount of Pre Series A funding from a bevy of angel investors. Prior to that, it had raised around $300K (INR 2 Cr) in an angel funding round in February 2016 and also counts Raman Roy, Chairman and managing director at Quatrro BPO Solutions as investor.

Glue Design, on the other hand, runs a proprietary Store Transformation System Quiktile. A design and innovation company launched in 2010, Glue Design has so far worked with over 200 companies in the fields of retail, product and exhibition design. Earlier, the firm also raised two funding rounds in 2015 and 2016 respectively, the details of which have not been disclosed. It also counts in its bucket investors such as YES Bank Family Office and Singapore angel Network.

Leadership is the act of leading employees to accomplish goals. It plays a significant role in employee accomplishment and efficiency in a startup. Entrepreneurs can do this by persuading employee actions in numerous ways. A frontrunner or leader sets a clear vision for the institution, inspires and guides employees and builds morale. Leadership’s role in a startup is indubitable. Great leaders build great industries and average leaders generate mediocre businesses.

Foreign language skill sets are important to an entrepreneur, as it lets you think across cultures and worldviews (e27.co)

To excel in today’s world of business, an entrepreneur must have ‘Metalinguistic’ boldly written on his resume. And, this is entirely different from what was needed a decade ago.

Nowadays, ‘soft skills’ are preferred than the decade old ‘hard skills’ to navigate this new, globalized business scene. ‘Soft skills’ like interpersonal communication and negotiation skills can make all the difference between sustenance and victory in global business. Living in a globalized business atmosphere and knowing a second language as an entrepreneur, is a skill that will give you and your business a stronger edge.

Entrepreneurship communities are booming across the world. From 15 to 50, people in all age groups are generating the brightest ideas and are not afraid in the slightest to launch their own ventures. No wonder, then, that globally, more than 100 million startups are launched every year (three startups every second!).

Investing in a startup is usually a very risky business, but can also turn out to be very fruitful if and when the investment pays off. Startup financing can be rewarding, both economically and personally. But finding winners is not easy.